Asgar Ro

Asgar Ro
Biographical information
Died	242 BBY, No-Space
Descriptive information
Species	Evereni
Gender	Male
Pronouns	He/him
Height	1.83 meters (6ft)
Hair color	Dark
Eye color	Black
Skin color	Slate-gray
Family information
Family	Ro family
Parent(s)	Shalla Ro Asgar Ro's father
Children	Marchion Ro
Chronological and political information
Affiliation(s)	Nihil

Asgar Ro was a male Evereni who held the title of Eye of the Nihil in the Nihil marauder group. A son of Shalla Ro and an Evereni male, he eventually had a son named Marchion Ro. In 252 BBY, Asgar and Shalla had a disagreement over the pace of Nihil expansion, which led him to kill Shalla and take the position of Eye of the Nihil for himself.

As Eye, Ro expanded the Nihil quickly and with great magnitude, using hyperspace Paths provided by captive Mari San Tekka. Ro was eventually killed by a disgruntled Lourna Dee, and kicked by his son during his dying moments. Marchion would go on to replace his father as the Eye of the Nihil, expanding the group's scope even further.

Biography

Early life

Asgar Ro was an Evereni male born to Shalla Ro and his father. He eventually fathered a son of his own named Marchion Ro.

Eye of the Nihil

Guardian of the Paths

"And I think you'll see...
...I'm a man with a vision"

―Asgar Ro to the Nihil

Asgar wagers his son's life

Asgar became upset at how long his mother was waiting to combat the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. Onboard the Gaze Electric, he challenged Shalla's waiting, leading to an argument that led to him pushing her over a railing to her death. After the death of his mother at his own hands, Ro brought his son to the rest of the Nihil in No-Space. There he met with the Tempest Runners, making a wager for everything he owned, including the Gaze Electric, if they could shoot down his son in a single fighter, using however many fighters they wanted. The two senior Tempest Runners, Pan Eyta and Kassav Milliko, eagerly accepted this wager and sent up scores of fighters against the young Marchion. As the fighters approached to engage, Ro called upon Mari San Tekka to transmit Paths to Marchion, allowing him to jump into hyperspace at unpredictable and seemingly random locations. This confused the Nihil and led to Marchion destroying many of their fighters. Ro commanded his son to stop, but Marchion refused to listen and killed more than his father wanted before finally stopping at a threat on his own life. This served as a demonstration of the Path engine, which Ro used as leverage to keep the Nihil loyal to his family alone, if they wanted access to the Paths. Asgar took the role of the Eye of the Nihil for himself after making this deal, even pondering adding a third Tempest.

As Eye, Asgar united the Nihil, and quickly expanded the group from a small savage gang of pirates into a much larger and feared organization using the hyperspace Paths provided by San Tekka. Just like Shalla and Marchion, he repeatedly asked San Tekka to reveal how she discovered the Paths, but she could not explain it to any of them. As the secretive guardian of the Paths which allowed the pirates to expand their power throughout the Outer Rim Territories, the Eye's power was often questioned by the unruly Tempest Runners, but his position held a double vote which allowed him to break deadlocks and steer the decisions the way he desired. In addition, Ro made a pact with the Tempest Runners known as the Rule of Three, a system that devised the distribution of the spoils from Nihil raids among the leadership. One-third of the riches went to the Strikes, Storms and Clouds which made up the three Tempests of the Nihil. The second third would go the Tempest Runners, who orchestrated the raids. And, should the Nihil make use of the Paths that Ro had delivered to them, he received his own third. Ro constructed the Great Hall of the Nihil, located in the center of No-Space. He also owned a collection of texts in the Gaze library; his son Marchion would later recall them as forgotten by Asgar and gathering dust.

In 247 BBY, Ro summoned the Nihil for a meeting in the Great Hall of the Nihil. During the meeting, he accused Tempest Runner Xanaven of trying to subvert the Rule of Three by not sharing the profits from raids he had undertaken in secret. Xanaven denied the accusation and called Marchion a leech. Xanaven broke free of his restraints and attempted to attack Asgar. Storm Lourna Dee assaulted and killed Xanaven to protect Ro. Immediately after, Ro promoted Dee as the new Tempest Runner to replace Xanaven. Afterward, Ro was widely seen, including by his own son, as a despot and tyrant.

Downfall

"Help... Help me..please. Just going to sit there and watch, eh? ... Good boy."

―Asgar Ro's last words

The Tempest Runners Pan Eyta and Kassav Milliko often chafed under Ro's domineering hand and wanted to return the Nihil exclusively to their authority and retain the third cut they had to surrender for use of the Paths. Enlisting Dee's help, they plotted to assassinate Ro and use his son, whom they viewed as a weakling ripe for controlling, to retain control of the Paths. However, Dee contacted Ro to inform him of their plan. However, Ro ridiculed Dee's suggestion that they eliminate Eyta and Milliko together and restructure the Nihil with themselves in command, instead declaring that the Paths would remain his alone. Ro planned to convince the two Tempest Runners to launch a coordinated attack against Shili, the homeworld of the powerful Togruta, an attack which would be designed to fail and force the two runners to regain the respect of their Tempests. Consumed by the leadership challenges, they would be unable to turn on Ro and would need his assistance to gain the Paths for raids to restore their credentials.

Asgar dying in front of his son

However, Ro had underestimated Dee, who was angered that he had rejected her proposed plan. Unbeknownst even to her fellow Tempest Runners, Dee went to the Great Hall and fatally stabbed Asgar. He was found bleeding profusely in his quarters by Marchion whom he begged for help. His son, angry at the abuse he had taken from his father all his life, took pleasure in kicking him viciously, making his death all the more painful. Marchion, who suspected that one of the Tempest Runners had murdered his father, succeeded him as the Eye of the Nihil.

Legacy

"Are you going to just stand for that? Are you going to let a creature like him speak to you like that. You should kill him for his insolance."

―the specter of Asgar Ro, to Marchion, on Baron Boolan

After his death, Marchion took Asgar's helmet, donning it in a meeting with the Tempest Runners, claiming the title for himself, and that he had a vision for the Nihil. Marchion Ro believed that Asgar did not bring the Nihil to their full cruel potential; however, much of Marchion's chaotic ambition was inspired by his father's greed. Marchion believed that his father lacked vision and should have reorganized the Nihil when he was the Eye. Throughout Marchion's life, Asgar's spectre haunted Marchion, as his son's mind often dwelled on the imagined thoughts and opinions of his father as he led the Nihil against the Republic and Jedi. In 229 BBY, Marchion heard Asgar's voice often.

Personality and traits

Asgar treated his son very poorly, belittling him and making his life miserable. He had great adoration for the Gaze Electric and its symbolism as a relic of a long-past age.

Equipment

Ro wore ancient Evereni armor that insulated the wearer against lighting, as well as a mask that was in the Ro family for generations. He also wore a cloak that was later used by his son, Marchion.

Behind the scenes

"Help me Marchion...please."
"Who did this to you?"
"I... I don't know"
"A shame. That at least would have been useful."

―The Rising Storm's version of Ro's last words.

Asgar Ro was first mentioned in the novel The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, written by Charles Soule and released in 2021. He later debuted in flashbacks in the 2021 novel The High Republic: The Rising Storm, written by Cavan Scott. In the audio drama The High Republic: Tempest Runner, Ro is voiced by Jonathan Davis.

Asgar Ro was first pictured in a flashback in the 2022 comic The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 1, written by Charles Soule, illustrated by Guillermo Sanna and Jim Campbell, and published by Marvel Comics on January 12, 2022. Marchion's and Asgar's conversation as he dies is different in Eye of the Storm 1 and The Rising Storm. This article assumes, that because The Rising Storm presents the conversation as a memory of Marchion's, that he misremembered, and Eye of the Storm 1 provides accurate information.

Appearances

• "A Closed Fist Has No Claws" — The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)
• The High Republic: Light of the Jedi (and audiobook) (First mentioned)
• The High Republic: The Rising Storm (and audiobook) (First appearance) (In flashback(s))
• The High Republic: Tempest Runner (In flashback(s))
• The High Republic (2021) 15 (Mentioned only)
• The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 1 (In flashback(s)) (First pictured)
• The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 2 (Mentioned only)
• The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness (and audiobook) (Voice only)
• The High Republic: Defy the Storm (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
• The High Republic: Temptation of the Force (and audiobook) (Appears as a ghost or spirit)
• The High Republic (2023) 8 (Indirect mention only)
• The High Republic: Tempest Breaker (Mentioned only) (In flashback(s))
• The High Republic: Tempest Breaker script (Mentioned only) (In flashback(s))

Sources

• Star Wars Inside Intel: The Nihil Hierarchy on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
• Star Wars: The High Republic Show: High Republic Phase II Deep Dive, Star Wars Celebration, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
• New Concept Art and More Revealed on Star Wars: The High Republic Show on StarWars.com (backup link)
• SWCE 2023: 10 Reveals from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Star Wars: Timelines
• Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia
• "Who's the Boss?" — Star Wars Insider 224
• Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
• Marchion Ro in the Databank (backup link)

Notes and references

The Nihil leaders (252 BBY)
Eye of the Nihil: Shalla Ro → Asgar Ro Tempest Runners: Pan Eyta Kassav Milliko
[edit]

The Nihil leaders (c. 247 BBY)
Eye of the Nihil: Asgar Ro Tempest Runners: Pan Eyta Kassav Milliko Xanaven → Lourna Dee
[edit]

The Nihil leaders (242 BBY)
Eye of the Nihil: Asgar Ro → Marchion Ro Tempest Runners: Pan Eyta Kassav Milliko Lourna Dee
[edit]

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